Former SAS sergeant Derek Gorman has backed our calls for medals to be awarded to soldiers injured or killed in combat.

The Mirror's Honour the Brave campaign has won massive support.

And the ex-special forces man, 70, said politicians were out of touch with what our troops were going through.

He said: "In my generation, a lot of politicians were ex-serving officers who had a better understanding of the sacrifices our troops make. Today, they all seem to be solicitors or barristers and have no idea of what the military put themselves through every day in Iraq and Afghanistan."

He pointed out that our "over-worked" soldiers also faced long-term separation from loved ones.

Mr Gorman, who was involved in many covert SAS operations in a 24-year Army career, added: "The government is about to lose the very people they rely on because they take them for granted and treat them like second class citizens."